Kenny – YBM project officer, Hackney CVS

Author:

Keren Lasme

Date:

May 13, 2016

Kenny – YBM project officer, Hackney CVS

I started off as a young man whose parents were very protective of and never let me interact with the outside world. Going to school was for me the only opportunity to come into contact with other individuals but my lack of interaction with people led me to withdraw into myself. Unable to understand how to relate with others, I was always on the defensive, which brought me into challenging situations. As a result, my school decided to assign me to a mentor – Nick, with whom I met every week to talk about my life inside and outside of school. We also did many enjoyable activities such as bowling, going to watch Arsenal games, build model cars etc.

Before having a mentor, I felt that no one knew how to deal with me but Nick had patience and allowed me to open up when I was ready. He taught me essential life skills and the importance of politics and political figures. One of the last times I saw my mentor was at a Christmas party at 11 Downing Street with the Chancellor of Exchequer who was Gordon Brown at the time. Nick believed in me, spoke words of wisdom into my life and years later it manifested.

This mentoring programme not only showed me how to interact with others and become part of the society, but it also gave me a sense of direction as I realised that I wanted to work in the government. Eight years later, I started to work for the Treasury and over the last three years, I have been volunteering with Hackney council as an inspirational peer leader for the Moving On Up initiative. I use my life experiences and success to encourage young people who face difficulties to get into work and education, and I help them build confidence the same way Nick has helped me.

My mentor and the various organisations I came across have had an enormous impact on my life as they help me build a strong foundation. They invested their time in me and because of that, I have been able to come this far. I believe that people like me are examples of hope, change and resilience and no matter what situation you are in, you can turn a mess into a message. All it requires is patience, someone who can believe in you, motivate you and help you get a sense of direction. This is exactly what plenty of young people out there need in their life.